Friday, November 2, 2012

What's Your Story? - Using Digital Storytelling for Writing Class


Storytelling at West Lothian libraries by Scottish Libraries One of the features of communicative language teaching is the use of authentic material and communication with learners’ own information. Before 21 century, authentic material typically meant realiasuch as pictures, books, magazines or newspapers. However, now, the meaning of authenticity should be redefined since our pictures, books, magazines, and newspapers appear in digital format. How many photos do you have in paper? What about in digital images on your computer? How many tapes recorded with your happy memories do you have? What about movie clips? Using your digital “memories”we can make your story more interesting and vivid.
 

Digital Storytelling means using digital tools to tell stories. Like traditional .storytelling, most digital stories deal with something interesting to your listeners. However, unlike the traditional way, digital stories usually contain some mixture of computer-based images, text, recorded audio narration, video clips and/or music. (learn more)

Now, what is your story? We want it fun and authentic. Here is a tip to make your writing class more interestingly using digital storytelling techniques.


Lesson Topic: My Precious Thing

Aims: introducing his or her most precious thing in life with story

Introduction Step
1) Think of precious thing in your life
2) Choose one thing you want to introduce to class
3) Bring as much information as possible related to the precious thing

Development Step
1) Answer these questions:
What is it? / How did you get it? / What it looks like? / Why do you think it is special? / How long have you had it?
2) Put the answers into one paragraph and read it.
3) Decide what information you need to show it effectively and interestingly.
4) Polish your draft and think about the way you present it with the pictures, text, or video clips. (the teacher plays the consultant role here)
5) Record the story with pictures or videos along with the text you want to emphasize. (Students can use video editing programs such as Animotoor Windows Moviemaker. To learn more about them, click here. )
6) Show off your“digital storytelling” work to the class either online or offline.

Wrap-up
Discuss which story is the most interesting. (You can upload it on YouTube to see which one gets the most recommendations.)
 
By making a digital story about the most precious thing, students can have another treasure that they will keep.

1 comment:

  1. That would provide students with a digital treasure that they could share with friends and family all over the world.

    ReplyDelete